Baling press



Patented Sept. 16, 1924-.

p a"; F I f],

BALI-N0: PRESS.

Application filed February 2, 1920. Serial No. 355,579.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES M. WOULF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, county of Erie, State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Baling Presses, of which the following description,

in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts. I

This invention relates to a press for bal ing material such as shavings, rags, paper, hay, cotton, etc., and particularly to a press in which the follower is actuated by a toggle lever construction.

The object of the present invention is to provide a press of this type having apower mechanism for operating the toggle lever device by which the follower can be rapidly actuated and with any desired degree of pressure thereby producing a bale quickly and with the material compacted to the desired density. 7

In order to give an understanding, of my invention, I have illustrated in the drawing a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described, after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claim.

In the drawings, Fig. l is a side view of a. baling press having a portion broken out to better illustrate my invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22, Fig. 1.

1 indicates generally theframework of a baling press which may have any suitable shape or construction. These presses usually comprise a chamber in which the material is compressed into bale shape, and a fol lower 2 by which the compressing is done. In the type of press herein illustrated, the follower 2 constitutes the bottom of the chamber, and during the compressing movement said follower is moved upwardly, it being guided in its upward movement by suitable guide rods 3.

The follower is supported on a togglelever arrangement of known construction which comprises the toggle levers 56, 78,

9l0. These toggle levers have a parallel relation and the members 5, 7 and 9 are pivotally connected to the follower at 11., 12 and 13, respectively, and the members 6, 8 and 10 are pivotally connected to the base 4 at 14c, 15 and 16, respectively. The members 5-6 are pivotally connected together at 17; the members 78 are pivotally connected together at 18, andthe members 9+10 are pivotally connected together at 19.

The toggle levers are all connectedat their middle joint by the connection 20. The toggle member 9 is provided with an extension 21 which is preferably of the .same length as the toggle member 10 and the power apparatus is connected to said extention 21. The lower members '6, 8 and 10 of the toggle levers. are made in duplicate, as best seen in Fig. 2, and each pair of lower members has a slightly diverging arrangement. The connection 20 is alsomade in duplicate.

The power apparatus of my improved press comprises a cylinder 23 having a piston 24-. therein provided withapiston rod 25 that is connected to the extension 21 by means of a link '26; The piston 24 may be operated by any motive fluid, such as steam, compressed air, etc. Such motive fluid is introduced into the cylinder through a pipe 30 which is provided with a suitable valve "31. 32 designates an exhaust pipe leading from, the end of the cylinder which is also controlled by a suitable valve 33.

In the practical use of baling presses of i this type, it is customary to arrange the press with a platform or floor 36 surrounding the press and at such a height that a person standing on the platform or-fioor can conveniently open the chamber of the press after the follower is elevated for the purpose of wiring the bale and for removing the bale from the press.

In the present invention the cylinder 23 v and the pipes 30, 32 are situated beneath the platform 36, and in order to provide for readily operating the valves 31, 33, I have provided means for this purpose which are accessible above the platform 36. The valves herein shown are of the type comprising a lever 37 pivoted to the valve casing and connected to the valve stem 38 so that by rais- I ing the lever the valve will be opened. These levers 37 have connections 40 extending" therefrom upwardly through the platform 36 so that the operator standing on the plat form can readily raise or lower the connections 40 thereby opening or closing the valve.

In the operation of the device the material to be baled will be introduced into-the chamber of the press while the follower .2 is in its lowered position, as shown in full lines, and when the requisite amount of material is in the chamber, then. the latter is closed as usual and the valve 31 is opened by the operator thereby to admit motive fluid to the right-hand end of the cylinder. This drives the piston 24: to the left, and such movement of the piston will operate through the piston-rod to swing the lever 9-21 into an approximately vertical position, thus straightening the toggle levers and raising the follower. As the piston approaches the left-hand end of its limit the toggle levers are in a nearly straightened position so that the power which is developed by the piston is operating most effectively through the toggle levers to pro duce the final compression in the bale.

When the bale has been fully compressed.

the motive fluid pressure will be allowed to remain on the piston 24 thereby to hold the follower in its elevated position while the operator opens the chamber and inserts the binding wires and ties up the bale. After the bale has been wired, then the operator can relieve the pressure on the follower by closing the valve 31 and opening the exhaust valve 33 for an instant. This will relieve the pressure on the bale sufficiently to permit it to be removed and after it has been removed, then the exhaust valve is fully opened and the weight of the follower will return it to the full line position shown in Fig. 1.

I have herein shown filling blocks 35 interposed between the cylinder and the frame of the press so that the pressure against the cylinder head will be transmitted directly to the frame.

The use of the cylinder and piston for operating the toggle mechanism is a decided advantage because it is more rapid in operation than a screw and because it provides for subjecting each bale to the same amount of pressure. V] hen the material to be baled is first introduced into the chamber of the press, such material will be in a more or less loose condition and the first upward movement of the follower canv be effected with relatively little force. With the use of the cylinder and piston the pulling force which the piston applies to the extension 21 of the member 9 will be substantially constant for as soon as the inlet valve is open the steam or compressed air will enter the cylinder thus subjecting the piston to a substantially constant pressure. The speed at which the piston may move is limited only by the resistance offered by the follower and, therefore, since at the beginning of the movement of the follower the relatively loose material in the pressed chamber will oHe-r relatively little resistance the piston and follower will move rapidly. As the resistance increases the follower will, of course, slow down somewhat but as the follower rises the toggles become more effective so that the effii'ectiveness of the constant pulling force of the piston rod is increased during the final upward movement of the follower. By thus employing a device which subjects. the memberQl to a constant pullingforce the speed of the device can be very much increased over that which is possible when a screw is used because with the screw the speed will be substantially uniform while with my invention a rapid movement will be produced at first while the material is in a loose condition.

Another advantage resulting from this device is that all the bales which are produced can be subjected to the same pressure which is to be determined by the pressure of the motive fluid which. is introduced into the cylinder.

I claim:

In a baling press, the combination with a press frame, of a follower operable therein, a plurality of connected parallel toggle elements pivotally connected at one end to said follower and at the other end to the frame, one of the members of one toggle element being extended beyond its central point, a cylinder connected to the frame with its axis in line. with the lower end of the toggle element extension, a piston in the cylinder having a. piston rod connected to said extension, and means for admitting fluid to the cylinder.

in testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

CHARLES M. VVOULF. 

